Ministry Staff

  • Doug Axtell

    Lead Pastor

    Doug has been serving as pastor at MHC since 2002. He and his wife, LaDean, have two grown children, Josh and Charis (Troy) and granddaughter, Nora. He earned his BA in sociology from Texas State University, his Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and his Doctor of Ministry in Entrepreneurial Leadership from Bethel Seminary. He loves spending time with his family, reading books, playing golf, and watching the NFL. His passion is to see the local church fulfill its God given potential to impact the world in its current reality.

  • Jay Stuckey, III

    Associate pastor

    Jay and his wife, Erin, are parents to Emily and James (Jay IV). His key focus at Murray Hill is overseeing the Groups ministry and connecting the church to local service projects in the community. In addition to his role here, he also works as a principal with Duval County Schools.  He is a graduate of the University of North Florida and is a lifelong Georgia Bulldog fan.

  • Joel Miller

    Worship Leader

    Joel and his wife, Julie, have two boys, Evan and Liam. In addition to his role here, Joel is a high school teacher. In his free time, he likes cooking and geeking with technology, as well as watching any FSU or Jaguar game. In 2004, he earned a Bachelors in Business Administration: Banking and Finance from the University of North Florida. 

  • Doug Cooley

    Community Life Director

    Doug and his wife, Carrie, have two boys, Larsen and Westin. His key focus at Murray Hill is overseeing our online live stream, social media engagement, connecting people to spiritual growth opportunities, and service programming. In addition to working here, he works full-time for HD Supply. During his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his sons baseball teams, playing the drums, playing golf, and photography. He has a Bachelors Degree in Organizational Management from Ashford University. 

  • Kim Lewis

    Children's Minister

    Kim has a love for children and seeing them come to know Jesus.  Kim attended California Baptist University and Fresno State.  She received her Master of Divinity degree from Golden Gate Seminary (now Gateway Seminary) and served as a summer missionary in Idaho. Kim loves all things Disney and crafting.

  • Paul mahla

    Student MINISTER

    Paul is a native of Jacksonville and is married to his wife of three years, GiGi Mahla. Paul earned his Bachelor of Science in Communications from the University of North Florida and a Master of Divinity in Biblical Studies from Liberty University. He has been ministering to students since 2015 and enjoys working with students and their discipleship journey. He has a passion for reading, sports and relaxing at the beach. 

Elders

While the ministry staff are paid and have specific roles within the church, the elders oversee the church and work as spiritual shepherds to ensure that we are seeking God's purposes in all we do. In addition to our lead pastor, the following people are active elders. Feel free to email the group at elders@mhbc.net.

  • Barbara leads a ladies Group and is an integral part of the Helping Hands Thrift Shop team and the Pacesetters ministry. Where there is a service ministry, you'll find Barbara. While she is now retired, she owned and operated a towing company for several decades.

  • Donnie  served as chairman of deacons before becoming an elder, and has been an integral part of the church's many service based ministries, including the Feeding Northeast Florida food distribution and a number of individual service projects. Donnie is also experienced as a corporate sales manager, project manager, a plumber and general handy-man. He brings a variety of experience to the group!

  • Gary leads an adult Group and is an active part of the worship team. He has also been chairman of deacons and has worked in several other volunteer capacities in the church for many years. Gary has also worked as a manager with a large company and now owns and operates a real estate appraisal business.

  • Beverly has been involved in TeamKID and the music ministry at Murray Hill for a very long time. She has also served in a great number of service ministries and helped get a new young adults program launched in 2004 by volunteering her house. While Beverly is retired, she was a computer programmer for several decades.

  • Mike Pittman

    Mike has been the chairman of deacons and has been an integral leader in TeamKid. He has been a regular contributor to numerous service opportunities and has led various Groups at the church. Mike has considerable management experience in his day job and brings a strong servant-oriented leadership to the Elder team.